The Problem of Water in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The Problem of Water in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The promised land is primarily an arid land: Israel has very scarce water resources to ensure its survival. The water issue is a central part of the relationship that Israel maintains with its neighbors.
The Middle East is a geographical area that is experiencing what experts have called a state of "water stress", that is to say, a structural imbalance between a limited water capital and a consumption in strong growth given its population and pace of economic development.
One cannot validly address the water battle in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and more broadly in the context of the crisis in the Middle East, without adressing the effect of a set of epiphenomena guaranteeing peace or war. The water issue has taken a clear geopolitical character in relations between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Tensions have their origin in the large disparity in consumption between the two communities that share the same sources of water.
Water is a crucial dimension in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. In this region the semi desert climate, where rainfall is absent from April to September with temperatures during the period between 30°C and 50°C. The issue of water is a critical dimension in the peace process. The water control is what makes the viability and economic power of the Hebrew state. It quickly became the cornerstone of the Zionist strategy from the early twentieth century. One may wonder then what role does water occupy in the culture and religion of the State of Israel. How and to what extent this natural element, is an important cultural and religious symbol in the country’s politics? How could the Hebrew State accept to share more equitably an already scarce resource?
From the early twentieth century, Zionist leaders were already aware of the crucial importance of water in a hypothetical state of Israel well before its inception. Chaim Weizman, who became the
The promised land is primarily an arid land: Israel has very scarce water resources to ensure its survival. The water issue is a central part of the relationship that Israel maintains with its neighbors.
The Middle East is a geographical area that is experiencing what experts have called a state of "water stress", that is to say, a structural imbalance between a limited water capital and a consumption in strong growth given its population and pace of economic development.
One cannot validly address the water battle in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and more broadly in the context of the crisis in the Middle East, without adressing the effect of a set of epiphenomena guaranteeing peace or war. The water issue has taken a clear geopolitical character in relations between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Tensions have their origin in the large disparity in consumption between the two communities that share the same sources of water.
Water is a crucial dimension in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. In this region the semi desert climate, where rainfall is absent from April to September with temperatures during the period between 30°C and 50°C. The issue of water is a critical dimension in the peace process. The water control is what makes the viability and economic power of the Hebrew state. It quickly became the cornerstone of the Zionist strategy from the early twentieth century. One may wonder then what role does water occupy in the culture and religion of the State of Israel. How and to what extent this natural element, is an important cultural and religious symbol in the country’s politics? How could the Hebrew State accept to share more equitably an already scarce resource?
From the early twentieth century, Zionist leaders were already aware of the crucial importance of water in a hypothetical state of Israel well before its inception. Chaim Weizman, who became the